Pathway to success

Cameron Niethe, who joined the Boy Scouts in the third grade and officially became an Eagle Scout on Jan. 14, said he is grateful for the structure and experience his years in Scouting have given him.

"Some of my favorite things about being a Scout are the Klondike derbies and camping out," Niethe, who celebrates his 17th birthday Monday, said. "I love to camp. I love the peace and quiet of the woods, getting away from the city, and looking at the stars and listening to nature."

For his Eagle Scout project, Niethe created a pathway at the Metro East Humane Society in Edwardsville.

"I was doing citizenship work in the community (as part of my Scouting program), and I got the idea while I was there walking the dogs," he said. "They were on a big, steep hill. It was basically just grass and when it was wet, it was really slick."

Over a three-week period, Niethe, with the help of fellow Scouts, created a path and steps from the humane society to the animal control office, making it easier and safer to transport animals back and forth.

"A lot of people thanked me," he said. "One guy with bad knees said he really appreciated what we had done. The humane society said I really went above and beyond what they were expecting, and they were really happy with it."

Niethe said his favorite badge to earn was for aviation.

"You had to know the parts of the plane and what makes them fly," he said. "I also got to fly a plane as part of the Young Eagles program at the Bethalto airport. When I went to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and checked out the planes there, I had the time of my life."

On the flip side, Niethe said his least favorite badge to earn was probably personal management.

"I don't like saving money," he said, laughing. "I like spending it better."

Niethe's grandmother, Carol Davis, takes her grandson to his Scout meetings and has been very hands-on with his Scouting achievements.

"Some boys will go to events where they can earn several badges in one day," Davis said. "Cameron has never done that. He has worked hard step-by-step to do the work and earn every badge he has."

For members with disabilities, the Scouting program offers a different set of requirements to achieve the level of Eagle Scout. Niethe, who faces the daily challenges of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder, did not take advantage of that program.

"We talked about it, and he thought about what to do," Davis said. "He decided he could do the work the other Scouts in his troop did, and he became an Eagle Scout the same way they did."

A sophomore at East Alton-Wood River High School, Niethe lives in Wood River with his mother, stepfather, grandparents and three siblings: 14-year-old Kiersten, 7-year-old Kayla and 4-year-old Colton. Kayla is a Daisy Scout and Kiersten is a Cadet Scout.

Niethe said after school, he plans to become an auto mechanic.

"When I was a kid, I loved finding broken lawn mowers, bringing them home and getting them running again," he said.